


If the Time Should Come

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-13
Updated: 2002-11-13
Packaged: 2019-05-30 13:52:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15097985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "Out of sight, out of mind, sir," said Leo.





	If the Time Should Come

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**If the Time Should Come**

**by:** loveleomcgarry

**Written:** 10-14-2002  
**Disclaimer:** All characters, except Senator Candlebrook and his father, belong to Aaron Sorkin. No copyright infringement is intended. The information on MS comes from <http://www.albany.net/~tjc/multiple-sclerosis.html#R/R.> The periodic table of the elements was found at <http://aol1.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001826.html.> The quote from Hamlet was found at <http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/hamlet/hamlet.3.1.html.> No copyright infringement is intended.  
**Category:** Leo/Jed friendship  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Summary:** "Out of sight, out of mind, sir," said Leo. **Author's Note:** Thanks to Melanie for the inspiration for this fanfiction.  


* * *

The President tapped on the door connecting his office to Leo's and opened the door. 

"Sir," stammered Leo, looking startled and standing. 

"Didn't mean to frighten you," said the President. 

"You didn't; I'm fine," assured Leo, shoving the files in front of him in order with both hands, creasing some of the pages. 

"What are you working on?" asked the President, casually gesturing his head to the stack of files. 

Leo fumbled with the top file, trying to determine what it was. "I was just reading...this...this...farming thing." 

The President raised his eyebrows and smiled. "You were, huh?" 

"Did you need something, sir?" asked Leo, putting down the file that was quivering in his grasp. 

"I just wanted to tell you I reviewed that speech that I forgot about earlier," said the President. "I made a few notes and asked Nancy to drop it by Sam's office." 

"Thank you, Mr. President," said Leo, his eyes focused on the door to Margaret's area so as not to make eye contact with the President. 

"I had shoved that speech in a drawer and I just didn't think about it. I hope Sam can pull off the rewrite today. I need it for tomorrow," said the President. 

"Out of sight, out of mind, sir," justified Leo, wanting to relieve Bartlet of any of the responsibility for the speech being forgotten, chastising himself for not being on top of every detail. 

"Lord knows it doesn't have to be far out of sight to be out of my mind," joked the President. Bartlet had not really expected a full laugh from Leo who had seemed a bit distracted and tense since he arrived, but the President was perplexed by the response he got. A sad darkness masked Leo's face to one of worry and concern and he once again looked away from the President to straighten the stack of file folders. Trying to lighten the situation, the President grimaced. "Geez, tough audience. I was going for a laugh, but I didn't even get a chuckle. Is it against the rules for my Chief of Staff to take a moment for a smile?" 

"It's not funny," said Leo softly. 

"What's not funny?" asked the President. "My joke?" 

"Josh is set to chat with Thunderslek on the Hill tomorrow," said Leo. "Moving him may knock a few others off the fence." 

"Changing the subject is futile, Leo," said the President. "You've been rattled since I got here and that's not normal. You're the foundation of this place and I get the feeling you're about to crack." Bartlet smiled at his satisfactory witticism. 

Leo ignored the President's attempt at humor once more. "Josh thinks he can get him to support the bill if we offer to add a couple hundred thousand for a study he wants to do. It could be beneficial, so I say we go for it." 

"Leo..." prompted the President. 

Leo sighed. "The study wants to find the best subjects in which to mainstream students with learning disabilities. It involves interviewing students who have..." 

"Try again..." instructed the President. 

"The students..." began Leo. 

"No..." implored the President, cutting him off. 

Leo snapped at Bartlet. "Don't make jokes about forgetting things!" 

The President was visibly taken back by the snap. This was Leo McGarry. This was his best friend and brother. This was the man who would walk through fire with him. 

Mortified at his behavior, Leo stammered. "I'm sorry...sir." 

"I don't need an apology, I need an explanation," said the President. "Something obviously has you upset and I'm beginning to think it's me." 

"I should never have said 'out of sight, out of mind,' sir. It was inappropriate. I didn't think; it just slipped out." Leo continued a mile a minute. "I'm sorry I didn't see that the speech got reviewed. You shouldn't have to see that things get done, that's my job. I'll see that it's ready in time. It wasn't your fault." 

"What?" asked Bartlet, bewildered and shaking his head.  "Take a breath and relax there, Leo. In a minute, you're going to tell me you burnt my toast at breakfast." The President kept his amused expression to try and lighten a situation that he was having trouble comprehending. Something had obviously happened to Leo. Leo was good at covering how he was feeling, but his tactics had never worked on the President. Bartlet could tell that he was fighting his fears with every breath, but that he wasn't succeeding. Looking for ways to put him at ease, the President continued. "If Sam doesn't have time to look at it, I'll wing it. You know me, I don't run out of stuff to say often." His laughter faded when Leo didn't laugh with him. 

"You shouldn't have to worry. It won't happen again, sir," said Leo with a frown. 

"Suppose you tell me what's up," said the President. 

"Nothing, sir," said Leo. 

"Hmm," said the President. "There's that Leo attempt at lying again. You're about as good at it as I am at riding a bicycle." 

"You didn't really forget the speech. It's all right, sir," assured Leo, picking up a file, looking for anything to distract Bartlet. 

"I forgot the speech, Leo. I told you. You don't have to coddle me. If Sam or Toby want to say something about it, I can handle it. I really can. I'm not made of glass. Geez, Leo, what has gotten into you?" asked the President. 

"You didn't forget. It's not a problem," declared Leo. 

"I did forget!" demanded the President, in a voice that insisted Leo concede to him. He was about to go on about Leo letting him take some responsibility for what he did, when he suddenly stopped and took in his Chief of Staff's resigned, miserable expression and posture. His face and voice softened. "You know I forgot and that's your problem, isn't it, Leo?" 

"Everyone forgets and it doesn't mean anything," said Leo. 

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" asked the President. 

"I forget things. I forgot to remind you about the speech," said Leo. 

"Let me prove to you what I remember," offered the President. 

"Mr. President, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. Please, let's get back to work," said Leo, opening the farming file. 

"The abbreviation for Calcium is Ca. Cobalt is Co. Fluorine is F. Gold is Au. Iridium is Ir. Krypton is Kr. Mercury is Hg. Neon is Ne. Oxygen is O. Potassium is K. Radon is Rn. Silver is Ag. Sodium is Na. Xenon is Xe," rattled off the President without a moment's hesitation. 

Leo ignored the President and studied the file in front of him. 

Undaunted, the President waved his hand in a sweeping gesture and in a booming voice recited. 

>   
>  __
> 
> "To be, or not to be: that is the question:  
> Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer  
> The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,  
> Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,  
> And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;  
> No more; and by a sleep to say we end  
> The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks  
> That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation  
> Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;  
> To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;  
> For in that sleep of death what dreams may come  
> When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,  
> Must give us pause: there's the respect  
> That makes calamity of so long life;  
> For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,  
> The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,  
> The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,  
> The insolence of office and the spurns  
> That patient merit of the unworthy takes,  
> When he himself might his quietus make  
> With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,  
> To grunt and sweat under a weary life,  
> But that the dread of something after death,  
> The undiscover'd country from whose bourn  
> No traveller returns, puzzles the will  
> And makes us rather bear those ills we have  
> Than fly to others that we know not of?  
> Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;  
> And thus the native hue of resolution  
> Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,  
> And enterprises of great pith and moment  
> With this regard their currents turn awry,  
> And lose the name of action.--Soft you now!  
> The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons  
> Be all my sins remember'd."

Leo turned a page of the file and continued to read. 

"That doesn't do it for you either, huh?" asked the President. "I remember a long time ago when we were seventeen and we broke my father's car window with the baseball when I was trying to prove..." 

"Stop it..." Leo snapped again. "You don't have to remember anything. I won't ever run out on you. I won't ever leave you." 

"Leo...talk to me," said the President, gently taking the file from Leo's hands and closing it before laying it on the desk. 

Leo's head swung away from Bartlet, letting out several long breaths. 

"I need you to tell me what's wrong...please..." After this, the President waited quietly, watching Leo get a handle on his emotions. 

"Senator Candlebrook's father was there," said Leo. 

Bartlet frowned in confusion, wondering where this conversation could be going. He began his questions with a simple one. "Where?" 

"I just got back from a meeting in Candlebrook's office...There is usually someone who stays with his father at home while Jay is at work, but the nurse had a trip today or something, so he spent the day here," said Leo. 

"Did his father say something to upset you like this?" asked the President. "What could it have possibly been?" 

Leo shook his head. "No...he just sat there...in his wheelchair...just sat there. He kept banging his arm up and down on the arm of his wheelchair. Could he break it that way? I spoke to him, but I couldn't understand what he said to me. I hope he wasn't asking me a question; I didn't answer him." The look of discomfort grew on Leo's face with every word. "He's having problems with dehydration and Jay has to give him as much liquid as possible. While we were talking, he gave him some water and it went down the wrong way or something and he almost choked; he coughed and gagged. I thought he was dying." 

"I know that wasn't pleasant to see someone in that condition, but he's okay now, right? I don't understand. Look at you, you're shaking, Leo. I need something else here," requested Bartlet. 

"And, then, I did it. I didn't mean to. You have to understand that. I didn't mean to," said Leo, begging for Bartlet to accept that. 

"Did you say something to the Senator about bringing his father to the office? Did you make some cruel comment about his father's condition? What did you do, Leo? I'm at a total loss here," said the President. Bartlet had no inkling of what could have happened. Leo's ability to relate to people was one of the things the President loved most about him. Leo was informal and friendly with everyone and tactful to a fault. Bartlet could not fathom what Leo could have done that could warrant his begging for forgiveness. 

"I just turned and ran...I ran out on the meeting...Candlebrook was in the middle of a sentence and I just...I just had to go...I'm sorry...I know how much you need Candlebrook's support on this bill...I...I couldn't be there..." Leo turned away from the President, unable to look him in the eye. 

"You ran out on the meeting? You want to tell me why?" asked the President, openly amazed that Leo was so distraught over something so uneventful. He hadn't insulted anyone, hurt anyone or even done anything. The senator would just assume that something came up and the meeting could be rescheduled. 

Leo shook his head, starting to stand. "I'll go back and apologize. I'll do whatever I have to do to get his support..." 

The President stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Leo, I don't care about the bill. I care about why you ran out of a meeting...I care about what has pushed you to such panic...I care about this reaction to some sick, old man..." Bartlet stopped, tilting his head slightly to the side in realization. "How severe is his father's MS?" Bartlet didn't need confirmation that his diagnosis was right, the deep breath Leo sucked in said it all. 

"I didn't mean it...I promise I won't...I won't act that way...when...I mean...I mean if you..." The words tumbled out of Leo as he struggled against the hold the President had on his arm. 

"Leo..." Bartlet's voice was warm and soothing. 

"I was just scared...I...I don't want you to have to be like that...I don't want you to be in pain...I don't want you to have to give up the life you enjoy...I don't want to...tell you that your grandchildren and I spent the day exploring in the woods...and you not even be able to remember it." Leo swiped at his eyes before any tear could fall. 

And suddenly, everything made sense to the President. Leo had seen what could be the future. He had seen their worst nightmare up close and personal. He had seen what could happen to his best friend. He had realized the full impact of what they were dealing with. 

"Oh, Leo," said Bartlet, truly touched. "I appreciate the depths of your concern for me. I'm sorry you got this upset. But, my friend, you can't panic before there is a reason to panic. I'm fine and I plan to be for a long, long time." 

"I don't know what's going to happen..." said Leo. 

"I don't know what's going to happen either," said the President. "I'm scared, too. I live wondering if every symptom, whether it even relates to the MS or not, might be the start of something, but I can't let that ruin the time I have now. I'm going to hold on to everything I have with everything I've got. But, you know I don't worry a minute about whether or not you'll be by my side." 

Leo looked up at the President. 

The President smiled softly before he continued. "There's a good chance my MS will never progress. But, I know if the time should come, you'll be right there to support Abbey and my girls. You'll be there taking care of me and talking to me. You know how I know that? It's because of this connection I feel to you, this friendship that could defy time and gravity. When I'm asked if I have any brothers, it's you who comes to mind first, not Richard or John. And, I'll remember your words, Leo, if not with my head, then with my heart." 

Leo nodded and managed a smile of his own. 

They were interrupted by a knock on the door as Charlie stepped inside. "Mr. President, Senator Candlebrook is on the phone wishing to speak to you." 

"Okay... thanks, Charlie..." said the President before Leo could protest. "Transfer it in here." 

"And sir, did you have a chance to sign those papers I left for you?" asked Charlie. 

"I forgot..." began the President, then, catching the look on Leo's face added. "I just haven't had time, Charlie. I'll sign them in a few minutes." 

"Yes, sir," said Charlie, closing the door. 

"Sir..." said Leo. 

The President shook his head and moved to pick up the phone. "If the time should come, Leo..." 

The End

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